BURBANK OUTLOOK IS ROSY MAYOR: CITY LIKELY TO SURVIVE ECONOMY, EXPAND, PROSPER.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

BURBANK - The city of Burbank likely will survive a soft economy unscathed again next year, with a movie megaplex opening and improvements at Media City Center mall.

City Manager Robert ``Bud'' Ovrom predicted Tuesday that 2003 would be a prosperous year for Burbank with revenue flowing from the planned summer opening of the $25 million AMC theaters, which will include 16 screens versus the current 14, and offer 300 more seats, should prove a major retail draw.

``In the last 15 years, the movie industry has changed dramatically,'' Ovrom said during Tuesday's taping of the ``Key to the City'' television show. ``It's not much bigger, but to be competitive in today's market, you have to offer auditorium seating.''

The state-of-the-art theaters, he said, will likely attract more retail shops and restaurants to downtown Burbank, which, despite a recent setback, the city is working to redevelop.

Last week, City Council members rejected a plan to bring in Urban Outfitters to the old Newberry's site at 328 Magnolia Blvd., saying they were uncomfortable loaning more than $700,000 to developers.

Despite that setback, Ovrom said the city has come a long way in transforming downtown Burbank and other retail shops since the days of the Golden Mall, a dirt paseo in which more than half the shops were vacant.

Ovrom said that when Lockheed Corp. and all of its subcontractors announced they were leaving Burbank, more than 20,000 jobs were lost over five years in the early 1990s. Through planning and luck, Ovrom said, Burbank was able to rebound, largely through retail and the growing film industry.

``The biggest accomplishment the city has made economically is making the transition from aerospace,'' Ovrom told Mayor David Laurell during the taping. ``To take a little town like Burbank where 20,000 jobs are lost is just staggering. Just as aerospace was collapsing, Hollywood was exploding. We were able to make the studios meet their growth needs.''

Looking ahead in development, Ovrom said he expects the Media City Center mall to undergo changes. As new owner Pan Pacific Retail Properties takes over in February, attracting big-box stores to the first floor of the mall, as well as restaurants, will be discussed.

``The mall has not reached its potential,'' Ovrom said. ``Overall, the mall is successful, but attracting small shops has been challenging.''

Ovrom also predicted that a standoff over expansion at the Burbank Airport, seen as the city's largest challenge as it contends with growth, will be resolved.

``I do believe we can find resolution to it,'' Ovrom said, noting that, at one time, the Glendale-Pasadena-Burbank Airport Authority had wanted a 27-gate terminal. In a year's time, the authority has considered a 14-gate terminal and now plans are on hold.

``As frustrating as the airport has been, I do think we have accomplished a lot,'' Ovrom said.